Paramount has tapped Justin Malen to write the screenplay about of the 25-foot-tall dog. Scholastic Media's Deborah Forte will produce the film, based on Scholastic's book series by Norman Bridwell.

The first book was centered on a young girl receiving a red puppy for her birthday that grows to be 25 feet tall. It was published by Scholastic in 1963, leading to more than 60 titles and 127 million books in print. Clifford is Scholastic's official mascot.

"Clifford the Big Red Dog" had been in development at Universal for several years with the studio announcing two years ago that it would be released in 2016. Paramount picked up the rights after the option lapsed.